PS I gotta second the love for those military history digressions, though, because I love that stuff. Really enjoyed your post today about the Zulu - who knew? Well, I guess you, and probably a few million other people, but I didn't.

One of my all time fav movies to watch with the sons (as I did with my old man) is "Zulu" (MCaine's intro movie if you like him; along with a number of well known brit actors: Nigel Green, Sydney Baker, etc.) which though over the top for sure, gives a solid account of the battle that followed the one MJ and I were speaking of elsewhere. That would be the battle of Rorke's Drift, 100 some odd members of the 24th foot against 4k Zulus, in which 11 or so VC's were awarded (yes, the most ever for an engagement). They lost 20 men, and held. Yeah for our team! Well, forgive that imperialist outburst, but you get the idea.

There is a pathetic movie with Burt Lancaster in his WORST performance as a brit officer, "Zulu Dawn" that covers the first battle, at Isandlwana, made in 79, but make sure you rent the plain "Zulu" flick if you go for it. In that battle, due to a strategic blunder by the leader, and some tactical mistakes/miscues, 1500 troops/aux's were slaughtered, incld young boys that had terrible things done to them, and it represented by far the worst "loss" to the brits til WWI.

Here's a pic I took in the BrMus of a famous painter of the defense of Rorke's Drift (see? I warned you!):

Well, you never know what you'll learn here! Thanks for the movie review break here during the Deadhead Political Hour. My kid has developed a huge interest in that particular war, for some reason. I can hold my own on the CW, but the Zulus ... um, not so much. That will go on the Watch-Over-Xmas list (since Netflix doesn't exactly deliver here.)

edit: This just sunk in ... Burt Lancaster as a British officer?!? That sure will be, um, interesting.

Just make sure you get "Zulu", not "Zulu Dawn", or "Shaku Zulu"...Any movie with Richard Burton narrating the opening, and the Welsh Borderers (Miss D? Do I have that right?) singing, has got to be good...